of easton



I March 7, 1933. l Ef B BEACHAM Re. 18,757`

,l MINI r Original Filed- Nov. '7, 1929 corro/v] S/LK SILK 51M FIG. I 1LCOTTO/v I MILL jlDE fgxkggg wwyywvvv WITNESSES: W WIN N R:

Reissued Mar.' 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN BRAND BEACHAM,.OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG'NOR TO CHIPMAN KNITTING MILLS, 0FEASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA HosIERY reissue ledNovember 19,

This invention relates to hosiery and has reference to stockings of thefull fashioned variety knit on' flat machines as well as to seamlessstockings produced on circular machines.

In plain knit fabrics (as distinguished from rib fabrics) the oppositefaces are entirely dierent in appearance, the one ordinarily known as'the right side in 'which the needle wales are prominent. beinglongitudinally lined or ribbed, and thus somewhat rough in appearance,while the opposite or reverse side in which the rounded ends of thefabric loops lay more or less hori- Zontally, is finer in texture andtherefore smoother by contrast. In fine gage silk fabrics characteristicof chiffon hosiery such as worn by women at the present time, thedifference between opposite faces is even more pronounced, that is tosay, the lines or ribs on the rougher right side of the fabric reflectlight with a glossy effect, whereas the smooth reverse side of thefabric is comparatively dull. The latter effect enhanced by the delicacyof the texture, is preferred by many since it blends more readily withthe skin; and for this reason women may be seen wearing their stockingsinside out, notwithstanding exposure of the unsightl ribs of the seamsat the rear of the stoc rings and the backs of the welts (which areusually knit from cotton yarn) as well as of the cotton splicing yarnsin the reinforced high heel areas above the shoe tops.y

It is to be observed, however, that while the right side of ordinarypresent-day silk stockings has a glossier appearance, and the reverseside looks duller, yet as a matter of fact the reverse really reflectsmore light than the right side. The peculiar difference seems to be dueto the fact that -at the reverse side the less exposed threads licnearer the surface, so the mean plane of the reflecting areas is higher,the surface is smoother and lessy penetrable to the light, and theultimate surface area that receives and absorbs light is less,-owing tothe smaller depth of the interstices amongst the threads. At the rightside, on the other hand, the interstitial shadows are deeper, and thecontrast Original No. 1,849,783, dated March 15, 1932, Serial No.405,545, filed November 7, 1929. Application for 1932. Serial N0.643,329.

between shadows and high lights is more pronou nced,whence the greaterglossiness.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an improved method of makingstockings whereby t-he objectionable features to which attention hasbeen direct-ed above are entirely obviated so that the stockings may beworn with the reverse face of the fabric at blank, made either in theordinary way or by split knitting showing the dull, smooth side of thefabric, which is at the outside of I ny finished stocking as worn,*theline of the Junction of the reinforced portions of the foot with therest representing the suture between the sections reciprocatingly knitin a split foot construction.

Fig. III is an enlarged view of the stocking fabric as worn, with thedull, smooth side outside,-the portion of the fabric shown being thatindicated by the dot and dash rectangle A in Fig. IL-including cottonreinforcement in the right-hand portion, at the inside.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view of the finished stocking from behind, asWorn, with the seam inside and the dull, smooth side of the fabricoutside.

Fig. V is a diagrammatic sectional view of the finished stocking, asworn, with the seam inside.

The procedure in producing full fashioned hosiery on flat knittingmachines in accordance with my invention, with use incidentally ofcotton yarn to knit that half of the welt which is to be vconcealed andalso to splice the high heel and sole areas, is as follows:

At the beginning, a suitable length of welt fabric 6 is knit with a mainsilk body yarn, and followed by knitting of a corresponding 'length offabric 7 with cotton yarn. The welt is then turned zit-8A as ordinarily,but with the cotton fabric 7 outermost, as natu- I ever so controlledthat the main silk or body yarn is plated over the loops formed by saidcotton yarns, i. e., the reinforcing cotton lies at the inside of thestocking when used or worn with the reversed main yarn outermost. Inltransferring the finished leg blank onto a transfer bar in preparationfor transfer to the footer, the loose threads of the turned so thatgusset are permitted to remain on the right side of the fabric insteadof being thrust between the transfer bar points as ordinarily. Thefabric loops now on the point bar are impaled in the known manner uponthe needles of the footer in readiness for the knitting of a fashionedfoot in direct continuation of the legblank. Here again the cottonsplicing yarn 11 for reinforcing the solesegments 13, 13 and thestocking toe' 14 are so fed as to underlie the main silk body yarn onthe reverse face of theffabric. In seaming the completed flat profiledstocking blankthe fabric is folded with the reverse smooth, dull faceinnermost (instead of the right face innermost as usual), the superposedrough selvage edges 15, 15 united by over edge stitching, and thestocking nally the reverse face of the fabric is on the outside.v (Figs.IV and V.)

Thus in full fashioned reverse stockings produced in accordance with myinvention, the cotton yarns 11used to splice or plate the reinforcedareas of the high heels 10, 10

Vand foot soles 13, 13 are entirely obscured,

and the ridges of the rearfseams at 15, 15 and the cotton backing 7 0fthe welts 6 concealed, with avoidance of the unsightly asects ofordinary stockings Worn inside out.

A generally similar procedure may obviously be followed in theproduction of full fashioned hosiery wherein split knitting is resortedto in the fabrication of the reinforced portions of the stockings, theline 16 in Fig. 11 corresponding to the suture between the sectionsreciprocatingly knit in the split foot stocking.

T'o produce seamless/1 reverse hosiery in ac cordance with my inventionon circular knitting machines, it is only requisite that the feeding ofthe splicing yarn be so controlled as to predetermine disposal of thelatter beneath the silk on the reverse face of the fabric, and to run upthe back seams with the tubular blanks laid flat, right glossy face ofthe fabric innermost, so that the ridges of the seams are concealed whenthe stocking is turned, as in the case of the full fashioned hosepreviously described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Themethod of manufacturing hosiery, intended to be worn with thereverse face of the fabric at the outside, which comprises knitting astocking blank with a main or body yarn, and incidentally producingreinforced portions with auxiliary yarn fed so that in the fabric asused the loops formed from it underlie those formed from the main yarnon the outwardly exposed reverse face of the fabric. y Y

2. The method of manufacturing hosiery, intended to be worn with thereverse face of the fabric at the outside, which comprises knitting astocking blank with a main'or body yarn, and incidentally producingreinforced portionsfwith splicing yarn incorthe main yarn ontheoutwardly expgsed reverse face of the fabric, and -seaming thev blanklongitudinally of the back so that the ridge of the seam is disposed atthe inside of the stocking when the latter is worn as aforesaid.

3. vAs a new article of manufacture, a stocking with the reverse face ofthe fabric at the outside and with reinforced portions wherein loopsformed fromfa main or body yarn occupy the outwardly exposed reverseface of the fabric, as used, in superimposition upon the loops formedfrom an additional or splicing yarn.

4. As a new article of manufacture, astocking with the-reverse face ofthe fabric at the y outside and with reinforced portions wherein loopsformed from al main or body yarn I occupy the outwardly exposed reverseface of the fabric lin superimposition upon the loops formed from anadditional or splicing yarn, and with the ridge( of a longitudinal seamalong the back disposed at the inside of the stocking. Y Y

' 5. A full-fashioned 'hose blank having a smooth face and a rough faceand plated heel tabs, in which the plating is substantially all ontherou hface.` y

stocking having'l a smooth face and a rough face with reinforced heelportions and a seam presenting a rough selvage, in which the smooth faceof the stocking is on the outside and the `rough selvage of the seam andthe reinforced portions are on the inside of the stocking. f

7. In the process of knitting a hose blank having a smooth face and arough face and plated heel tabs, the step of knitting the leg portion ofthe blank from the main yarn in 8. In the process of making a fullfashioned stocking having a smooth face and a rough face and plated heeltabs, the steps of knitting the leg portion of the blank from the mainyarn in substantially the usual Way down t0 the heel tabs, then knittingthe plating on the rough face of the blank, then knitted on the foot,and then seaming the stocking blank so that the plated yarn of the heelis on the inside of the stocking.

9. A plated full fashioned stocking having a rough face and a smoothface and a seam presenting a rough selvage, in which the smooth face ofthe stocking is on the outside and the rough selvage of the seam and theplating are on the inside of the stocking.

10. In the process of making a stocking having a smooth face and a roughface and plated heel tabs, the steps of knitting the leg portion of theblank from the main yarn in substantially the usual Way down to the heeltabs,y then knitting the plating on the rough face of the blank, andthen knitting on the foot.

11. A stocking having a smooth face and a rough face, With a plateportion, and further characterized by having the smooth face of thestocking on the outside, and the plating on the inside.

12. A split foot stocking having a smooth face and a rough face, With aplated portion in its foot, yand further characterized by having thesmooth face of the stocking on the outside, and the plating of the footon the inside.

13. A stocking having a smooth face and a rough face, With a reinforcedportion in its foot and a seam presenting a rough selvage, in which thesmooth face of the stocking is on the outside, and the rough selvage ofthe seam and the rough face of the reinforced portion of the foot are onthe inside of the stocking.

14. A split foot full fashioned stocking having a smooth face and arough face, with a plated portion in its foot and a seam presenting arough selvage, and further char- 1 acterized by having the smooth faceof the stocking on the outside, and the rou-gh selvage of the seam andthe plating of the foot on the inside.

15. A stocking having a smooth face and a rough face, with a Weltincluding a half knit with auxiliary yarn and a half corresponding tothe main portion of the stocking, and with a reinforced portion in thefoot; and further characterized by having the smooth face of thestocking on the outside, and the auxiliary yarn half of the welt and therough face of the reinforced heel portion on the inside.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at' Easton, Pa.,this 9th day of Nov., 1932.

EDWIN BRAND BEACI'IAM.

